about
US: /əˈbaʊt/
UK: /ɐbˈaʊt/
UK: /ɐbˈaʊt/
English Vietnamese dictionary
about
- độ, chừng; xung quanh; nói về, đối với
- a.five per cent chừng trăm phần trăm
Advanced English dictionary
adverb, preposition, adjective
+ adverb
1 a little more or less than; a little before or after
Synonym: APPROXIMATELY
It costs about $10. + They waited (for) about an hour. + He arrived (at) about ten.
2 nearly; very close to: I'm just about ready. + This is about the best we can hope for.
3 (especially BrE) in many directions; here and there: The children were rushing about in the garden.
4 (especially BrE) in no particular order; in various places: Her books were lying about on the floor.
5 (especially BrE) doing nothing in particular: People were standing about in the road.
6 (especially BrE) able to be found in a place: There was nobody about. + There's a lot of flu about. + She's somewhere about-I saw her a few minutes ago.
7 (technical or formal) facing the opposite direction: He brought the ship about. - AROUND
Idioms: that's about all
that's about it used to say that you have finished telling sb about sth and there is nothing to add: 'Anything else?' 'No, that's about it for now.'
more at JUST adv., OUT adv.
+ preposition
1 on the subject of sb/sth; in connection with sb/sth: a book about flowers + Tell me all about it. + What's she so angry about? + There's something strange about him. + I don't know what you're on about (= talking about). + There's nothing you can do about it now.
2 used to describe the purpose of sth: Movies are all about making money these days. + What was all that about? (= what was the reason for what has just happened?)
3 busy with sth; doing sth: Everywhere people were going about their daily business. + And while you're about it ... (= while you're doing that)
4 (especially BrE) in many directions in a place; here and there: We wandered about the town for an hour or so. + He looked about the room.
5 (especially BrE) in various parts of a place; here and there: The papers were strewn about the room.
6 (especially BrE) next to a place or person; in the area mentioned: She's somewhere about the office.
7 (literary) surrounding sb/sth: She wore a shawl about her shoulders.
Idioms: how / what about?
1 used when asking for information about sb/sth: How about Ruth? Have you heard from her? + I'm having fish. What about you?
2 used to make a suggestion: How about going for a walk? + What about a break?
adjective
Idioms: be about to do sth to be close to doing sth; to be going to do sth very soon: I was just about to ask you the same thing.
not be about to do sth to not be willing to do sth; to not intend to do sth: I've never done any cooking and I'm not about to start now.
VOCABULARY BUILDING
ways of saying approximately
The flight takes approximately three hours.
The tickets cost about £20 each.
The repairs will cost $200, give or take a few dollars.
How much will it cost, more or less ?
We are expecting thirty or so people to come.
She must be 25 or thereabouts.
Profits have fallen by roughly 15%.
You can expect to earn round about £40 000 a year.
The price is somewhere around $800.
She earns somewhere in the region of £25 000.
All these words and phrases are used in both speaking and writing; about is the most common and approximately the most formal.
Thesaurus dictionary
adv.
1 round, around, close by, nearby, on every side:
Gather about, for I have something to tell you.
2 approximately, around, nearly, roughly, more or less, almost, close to or upon; give or take:
In 1685 London had been, for about half a century, the most populous capital in Europe. Light travels at about 186,000 miles a second.
3 to and fro, up and down, back and forth, here and there, hither and yon, far and wide, hither and thither:
He wandered about aimlessly for several days.
4 here and there, far and wide, hither and yon, hither and thither, helter-skelter:
My papers were scattered about as if a tornado had struck.
5 around, prevalent, in the air:
There is a lot of flu about this year.
6 approximately, nearly, close to, not far from, almost, just about, around:
It is about time you telephoned your mother.
prep.
7 around, surrounding, encircling:
There is a railing about the monument.
8 round, around, all round, everywhere, in all directions, all over:
Please look about the room for my hat.
9 near, nearby, adjacent to, beside, alongside, close by, nigh:
There were a lot of trees about the garden.
10 with, at hand, Colloq on:
I am sorry, but I haven't my cheque-book about me.
11 touching, concerning, connected with, involving, in or with reference to, in or with regard to, regarding, in the matter of, with respect to, respecting, relative to, relating to, apropos, Formal anent:
He wrote a book about the Spanish Armada.
Concise English dictionary
ə'baʊt
adj.
+on the move
adv.
+(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
+all around or on all sides
+in the area or vicinity
+to or among many different places or in no particular direction
+in or to a reversed position or direction
+in rotation or succession
+(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished
